Bill Text: FL S1926 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: State Employee Bonus Initiative

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-07 - Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration [S1926 Detail]

Download: Florida-2011-S1926-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2011                                    SB 1926
       
       
       
       By Senator Latvala
       
       
       
       
       16-01315A-11                                          20111926__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the State Employee Bonus
    3         Initiative; creating the State Employee Bonus
    4         Initiative, an online state employee suggestion
    5         program for reducing the cost of state government;
    6         providing duties of the Legislative Budget Commission
    7         relating to the program, including creating and
    8         maintaining a program website; providing program
    9         requirements; providing for a monetary award;
   10         protecting employees from certain adverse and
   11         discriminatory actions; prohibiting state agency heads
   12         and elected and appointed officials from participating
   13         in the program; requiring the commission to annually
   14         create and make available to all state agencies a
   15         poster providing certain information and meeting
   16         specified requirements; providing an effective date.
   17  
   18  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   19  
   20         Section 1. State Employee Bonus Initiative.—
   21         (1) The Legislative Budget Commission shall establish the
   22  State Employee Bonus Initiative, an online state employee
   23  suggestion program through which state employees may submit
   24  suggestions for cost reductions through increased efficiencies
   25  or other economies or savings in the operations of the state.
   26  The commission is responsible for the creation and maintenance
   27  of the State Employee Bonus Initiative website at the Internet
   28  address www.myfloridabonus.gov.
   29         (2) Each employee making a suggestion for a cost reduction
   30  under subsection (1) shall be paid a monetary award in the
   31  amount specified in subsection (3) if:
   32         (a) The suggestion is adopted, in whole or in part, by a
   33  state agency; and
   34         (b) The suggestion results in actual savings of at least
   35  $50,000 to funds appropriated pursuant to the General
   36  Appropriations Act.
   37         (3) A monetary award under this section shall be in the
   38  amount of 1.5 percent of the estimated budget reduction to the
   39  General Appropriations Act resulting from the employee
   40  suggestion under subsection (1), as certified by the Legislative
   41  Budget Commission.
   42         (4)(a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b):
   43         1. A monetary award for a suggestion that results in
   44  savings of less than $1 million shall be awarded immediately
   45  upon the certification by the Legislative Budget Commission
   46  under subsection (3).
   47         2. A monetary award for a suggestion that results in
   48  savings of $1 million or more, as certified by the Legislative
   49  Budget Commission under subsection (3), requires approval by the
   50  Legislature.
   51         (b) The Legislative Budget Commission may refer any
   52  suggestion or portion of a suggestion subject to an award to the
   53  Legislature for approval.
   54         (5) A monetary award under this section shall be based on
   55  annualized savings even if only partial reductions were made
   56  based on part of the budget year having elapsed. However, when a
   57  budget reduction to the General Appropriations Act is only
   58  partially implemented in the first fiscal year and additional
   59  aspects of the suggestions need to be implemented in the
   60  succeeding fiscal year, the employee who submitted the
   61  suggestion shall receive award compensation over both years
   62  which is proportioned and paid at the time of implementation for
   63  each component of the suggestion that was implemented.
   64         (6)(a) A suggestion shall be anonymous during the
   65  evaluation process. Upon the submission of a suggestion through
   66  the program’s website, the employee shall be assigned an
   67  anonymous employee suggestion program number.
   68         (b) After certifying a budget reduction subject to an award
   69  under subsection (3), the Legislative Budget Commission shall
   70  post the employee’s anonymous employee suggestion program number
   71  on the program’s website and shall provide the employee with
   72  instructions on who to contact on behalf of the commission.
   73         (c) Upon the adoption of a suggestion that results in a
   74  monetary award, the employee shall be named and recognized on
   75  the program’s website.
   76         (7) An employee may not be harassed, terminated from
   77  employment, or subject to any other adverse or discriminatory
   78  action for making a suggestion under this section. However, an
   79  employee is not a victim of adverse employment action under this
   80  subsection if the employee’s suggestion includes and results in
   81  the elimination of his or her position.
   82         (8) State agency heads and elected and appointed officials
   83  may not participate in the program.
   84         (9) On or before December 31 of each year, the commission
   85  shall create and make available to all state agencies a poster
   86  in English and Spanish that explains the program and provides
   87  the program’s website address. The poster must be at least 8.5
   88  inches by 11 inches in size, be in a format easily seen by
   89  employees, and have text of a conspicuous size.
   90         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.